1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to garments in general, and more particularly to gowns worn by hospital patients for medical examination or treatment.
2. Preliminary Discussion
The typical garment, whether designed to cover the upper or lower portion of the body, can only be worn in one orientation or position, and usually covers the body with a single layer of fabric such as cotton, wool, and the like. In particular, the standard hospital or examination gown is usually made from flimsy single layered panels having flaps in the back that are held together by metal fasteners or cloth ties.
Such prior art gowns are used by hospitals for several reasons. First, hospitals are under constant pressure to control or cut costs, and the standard gown is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and launder. Second, medical personnel need to have substantially unencumbered access to areas of the body that have been injured and need to be examined or treated, and the gown must be loose enough so that bulky dressings such as, for example, a heavy bandage or a cast on a broken bone, can be easily applied and tended to and will fit under the gown. Third, hospital gowns must be easily put on or removed, since many patients are at least partially immobilized and incapable of dressing themselves without the assistance of a nurse or other hospital staff. In addition, bedridden patients that require the use of a bed pan need a gown that is adaptable to their needs.
Although the standard hospital gown has some practical advantages, it has an even greater number of drawbacks. First, hospital gowns are notorious for providing only a modicum of covering and dignity for patients. The rear flaps of most gowns often tend to be pulled or split apart as the patient moves around while performing simple normal activities such as walking to the bathroom or moving to a different examination area and the like. As a result, patients wearing the standard gown are often unknowingly or even knowingly subjected to embarrassing exposure. In addition, many hospitals or examination areas are often uncomfortably cold, either due to a need for continual air-conditioning, which usually cannot be regulated by the patient, or, in colder climates, the heat might be kept at a relatively low level to save on heating costs. The flimsy box-like construction of the standard gown provides little or no warmth to patients in drafty and cold hospitals or convalescent homes, and patients often are unable to or are prohibited from wearing any additional clothing.
Standard hospital gowns also often do not provide easy access to the front or shoulder parts of the body without necessitating undue exposure, since the only opening in such gowns is in the back, and if the gown is reversed, excessive exposure of the front, particularly of female patients, inevitably ensues. For instance, a patient with a wound on his or her shoulder would necessarily have to remove practically the entire gown during examination. In addition, patients are often subjected to unnecessary exertion due to the lack of adaptability of such gowns to various treatments required in nursing. For example, due to the clumsy design and construction of the standard gown, a mother suffering from exhaustion following the birth of a child would be forced into undue exposure of other portions of her body in order to expose her breast while nursing. In addition, nerve shock caused by critical operations, severe accidents and prolonged periods of pain often causes the body to be extremely sensitive to air and the touch of human hands irrespective of how gentle an effort is made to administer any necessary treatment and assistance. The present garment now in use requires undue manipulation and exacts a wholly unnecessary toll from such patients.
Numerous attempts have been made to overcome the disadvantages of the standard hospital gown by providing a gown that gives the patient some additional covering while still allowing for easy access to the body for examination and medical treatment. However, in general these attempts have not been successful, either because such gowns are too expensive to manufacture or are too impractical or complicated in design. Thus, the problems associated with the standard gown still exist, and such gowns are still in widespread use in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like. Some cultures are particularly sensitive to exposure, and family members often aid their relatives in activities that require dressing and undressing, such as taking baths and the like, rather than relying on aid from hospital personnel or attendants. In fact, hospital gown comfort and coverage has become such an important issue in some communities that a bill was recently sponsored in one legislature that would require hospitals to give admitted patients the option of wearing "dignity gowns," which completely cover the patient from neck to knees, unless a standard hospital gown is medically necessary for patient treatment and care. However, hospitals have objected to the bill since it would significantly increase their costs, which increase would ultimately be passed to consumers. Thus, while many hospitals have been made aware of the need for an alternative gown that allows their patients, often now referred to as clients, to retain their integrity and affords them the dignity and respect they deserve, there is still a need for an alternative to the standard hospital gown that is practical, relatively inexpensive, and overcomes the disadvantages associated with the standard gown.
The present inventor has met the challenge and designed a hospital gown that overcomes the described problems and is both simple and inexpensive. The present inventor departs from the construction of the standard garment by providing a three or tri-panelled gown wherein one of the panels is sandwiched between the other two. While one of the outer panels is split or openable similar to the flaps on the standard hospital gown, the present inventor has added a solid or unitary panel between the two outer panels. The addition of a middle or central panel gives the wearer the option of wearing the gown with his or her body positioned either between two solid panels or between one solid panel and one openable or split panel. In addition, by using hook & loop type or equivalent closures on the shoulder area, the gown may be unhooked and easily slipped on or removed from the body of the wearer with a minimum amount of physical effort to the patient. The shoulder of the patient can also be easily attended to without exposing other portions of the body. Thus, the patient may easily slip either between or from the two solid or unitary panels almost as easily as opening the split panel in putting on or taking off the gown. Furthermore, while the two unitary panels do not usually require fastenings on the openable side, because of the split flaps on the outside, securing means may be provided, if desired, to attach the side of the middle or central panel to the other unitary panel.
When the patient desires a closed gown or a "dignity gown," the garment may be positioned with his or her body between the two relatively unopenable or solid panels. Such orientation not only protects the patient against unwanted and embarrassing exposures, but also provides additional warmth and protection from drafts and the cold. On the other hand, when the patient expects to be examined or treated in a manner necessitating that the gown be openable, the gown can be worn with the body between the central unopenable panel and the outer openable or split panel, with the split panel facing or covering either the front or back of the patient as required.
The gown of the present inventor is designed to meet all requirements of post-operative care, and allows access for applying dressings, bandaging, intravenous feeding, blood transfusions, blood tests, and intravenous anesthesia. When abdominal or chest examination or treatment is necessary, the gown may be worn with the split panel covering the front of the body. On the other hand, when backside bandaging or treatment is necessary, or if a bed-pan is in use, the gown may be worn with the split panel covering the patient's back area. The garment also allows the use of casts on the upper arm and shoulder without destruction of the garment since the sleeve is separable.
Thus, the present invention provides a hospital garment that is equally adequate for patients where access to either the front or back portions of the body for examination or operation is necessary, or for ambulatory or extended care patients in nursing homes and the like where easy access to the body through an openable panel is not as critical and who desire additional security against unwanted and embarrassing exposure. The garment also provides added warmth and comfort as opposed to traditional hospital gowns. The patient, for example, can choose to oppose the double thickness of cloth of the garment or gown to the coolest portion of the his or her body, frequently the back, which tends to be more easily chilled. This is possible whether the patient is between the unitary or solid portions of the gown or within the openable or split portion of the gown.
3. Description of the Related Art
The prior art evidences numerous designs for hospital gowns and other garments having a protective or additional modesty layer over the standard layer. The prior art known to the applicant does not, however, contemplate a garment comprising the elements of the present invention. Some of the prior art references of note are as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,462,515 issued to E. McElroy on Jul. 23, 1923, entitled "Hospital Gown," discloses a hospital gown wherein essentially the entire gown is individually separable at the side seams so that small portions of the body may be exposed for examination or operation without exposing the entire body. Such gown does not contemplate the use of a third or middle panel, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,731,137 issued to M. R. Jones on Oct. 8, 1929, entitled "Garment," discloses a dress having a removable outer piece that functions as an apron or a protective layer for such dress.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,402 issued to 0. Sieloff on Aug. 12, 1947, entitled "Infant's Garment," discloses a garment for an infant forming both an undergarment, or an inner garment, and an outer garment both in front and back. The infant can be dressed between the back panel and either one of the two side panels so that there is a double layer of cloth over the back and front of the infant, with the two front layers folded out from opposite sides to go over the child consecutively. However, the Sieloff reference does not illustrate positioning between two one-piece panels or a one-piece and a two-piece, divided panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,772 issued to M. Egbert on Jan. 15, 1952, entitled "Combination Garment," discloses a jacket having a combined liner and shell that may either be worn separately or together as is commonly seen with ski jackets and winter jackets today. Such construction is dissimilar to that contemplated in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,172 issued to H. Barg on Nov. 13, 1973, entitled "Bathing Suit," discloses a bathing suit having both an inner and outer garment wherein the inner garment provides control for the users body parts while the outer garment is merely provided for decoration. The garment is designed to be worn in only one orientation, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,995 issued to D. Wiley on Apr. 19, 1988, entitled "Child's Hospital Uniform," shows a hospital uniform having separable body portions. The shoulders are separable to gain access to the upper part of the child's body, and the rear panel is also separable in the normal fashion as with most conventional hospital garments. However, there is no mention whatsoever of having a tri-panel garment similar to the proposed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,984 issued to B. J. Sting on Dec. 11, 1990, entitled "One-Piece Garment," discloses a garment having two panels that extend along either the front or back of a persons body to completely cover the front and rear torso, as well as two closable side panels extending from either the front or rear panel to provide additional coverage to both the sides and either the front or back of the wearer of the garment. The Sting reference actually provides the wearer with more coverage than the conventional hospital gown, but does not rise to the same type of coverage as the present inventor's hospital gown.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,715 issued to J. S. Adams on Jun. 24, 1997, entitled "Hideable Protective Front Member for Clothing," discloses a detachable bib or panel that is positionable over the front portion of a wearer's shirt to serve as a protective panel for protection against spills of foods, beverages, industrial substances and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,707 issued to B. L. Lederer on Jun. 23, 1998, entitled "Examination Gown," discloses a multi-panelled examination uniform primarily for female wearers during gynecological examinations. Both the front and back panels of the torso portion of the gown are openable for inspection by a medical official. However, the gown itself is essentially a two piece skirt and blouse combination with openable portions at strategic locations.
The prior art thus completely fails to disclose a garment or hospital gown design having a third or middle panel wherein the garment can be worn with the body situated between either the first and second or second and third panels. Furthermore, the prior art does not disclose a hospital gown that gives the patient the option of wearing the gown with one panel being split or openable or with both panels being relatively unopenable or unitary.